


A Lot Like Me

by calhale, setralynn



Category: Hannibal (TV), World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Blood and Violence, Emotional Manipulation, Implied Cannibalism, M/M, Murder Mystery, Psychological Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-04-07 15:37:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19087981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calhale/pseuds/calhale, https://archiveofourown.org/users/setralynn/pseuds/setralynn
Summary: Dean Ambrose may be considered unstable, but when a string of murders have the FBI stumped, Shane has to bring him back into the field. This time, he needs someone to help watch Dean, or at least someone to make sure he doesn't break. He turns to renowned local psychologist Roman Reigns to evaluate Dean and an unexpected friendship begins to grow.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Take the plot of Hannibal Season One, insert relevant wrestlers, try to build a murder family. What did you expect from us, really?
> 
> Warnings for more violence and death than usual. More to the Hannibal standard than WWE. Be warned.

Dean slowly walks into the bedroom where a young girl's body is tucked peacefully into bed. "I brushed her hair after I brought her back. I wanted her to look perfect. She looks like an angel while she sleeps. Taking her was a mistake and I’m sorry." Dean whispers as he carefully watches over to the vanity to pick up the pastel pink hair brush.

"What does that have to do with-" Paige asks in a low voice, but she's hushed by Daniel Bryan and the other FBI agents nearby.

"This is how he works." Daniel says softly, scratching at his beard . "He gets into their heads... After the fact. It's crazy, but it works. Shane wouldn't trust him otherwise."

Dean's fingers carefully pull the sheets and comforter back to expose the constellation of puncture wounds on the girl’s abdomen. He climbs carefully climbing up on the bed and straddles the girl. Slowly he flexes his fingers in front of himself and then violently shoves his fingers in the holes. The dead girl’s eyes open wide and she gasps one last breath. 

Slowly she turns her head to look at Dean directly. She doesn't say anything but Dean is overwhelmed by the wave of caring and adoration that he has for this girl. But she doesn't fulfill him. She isn't right. She doesn't scratch his itch like she should. He shouldn't have chosen her. 

"There's something wrong with her. I wouldn't have picked her if I had known she was sick." Dean says simply as he opens his eyes to see that the brunette girl is still tucked into bed, peacefully waiting for the forensic team to take her away.

"So he wants them healthy?" Shane asks hesitantly, not sure Dean is done. "What does he want from her then?"

"Well he stabbed her with deer antlers." Paige puts in, making Dean jump and back away. "There’s down from the antlers on the wounds. Right shape too."

"What do you mean sick?" Daniel asks. "Parents said she was fine. Perfect health, doing well in school."

"Deer velvet is associated with healing. It was his way of trying to fix what he had done." Dean offers, ignoring Shane’s comment. He may not know exactly what is wrong with this girl, but the killer had. 

"What do you mean, fix what he had done?" Shane asks, confused but intrigued by the idea. "Are you saying that the killer is remorseful? He's never returned any of the other girls."

Dean shakes his head. "No, he isn't sorry he kills. He's sorry that he took her life when he couldn't honor her. He couldn't show her proper love."

Shane frowns, looking at the blood stains seeping subtly through the covers. "What was different about her?" He says thoughtfully.

"Doesn't help much to heal her when he'd already stabbed her." Paige says snidely. "Weird fucker. So aren't you supposed to tell us how to catch him?" She says with a pointed glare at Dean.

When Dean's head snaps up unnaturally fast, Shane grabs his arm and hauls him out of the dead girl’s room to let the rest of his team work. "Stay with me Dean, I can't let you go down that rabbit hole right now. I need you here and working on this. What did you learn?"

Dean shrinks back at the anger in Shane's voice, "She isn't special or different. She's a stand in for his... his golden ticket. For the one he actually loves."

 

"He doesn't ‘love’ these girls. We didn't find any semen Dean!" Shane retorts, "There was no sign of sexual assault." 

Dean shakes his head, frustrated at not being able to explain the threads of this killer's motivation that seem to be slipping through his fingers. "No, no no. He would never defile them like that. He would never dishonor them."

Shane frowns and leans back against the floral wallpaper of the dimly-lit hallway, glad that the parents took the night to go stay at a hotel away from the crime scene. "What kind of a psychopath does that?"

"I don't know! I don't know why he brought her back. I don't know why we have never found any of the other girls." Dean declares, throwing his hands up in the air in exhaustion. It feels like there's something crawling under his skin. Something dark and dangerous. He hates it. He hates that he doesn't have words to describe why he knows this wasn't motivated by sex. "He's doing whatever he does with her because he has to. But he couldn't do that with her. Something is different about her. Once you figure that out we will know what kind of psychopath he is."

"Ok. Ok, fine. Go home Dean." Shane says, disappointed. "Sleep this off. We'll take her in and find out what makes her special."


	2. Chapter 2

"Shane." Baron says flatly when the detective appears in his office doorway at the FBI academy. "Here poaching my best and brightest for your teams again?"

Shane takes his time walking leisurely into the office of the formidable Dr. Corbin. Baron Corbin is a world-class psycologist, therapist, and specialist who has been a colleague of Dean's for years. The pair are considered close friends, especially since they've been teaching together at the academy. "Potentially, but this time I've actually come to ask a professional favor." Shane replies as he takes a seat across the desk from Baron. 

The space is full of occult artifacts and manuscripts. Shane can even see a wolf's skull resting on one of the black shelves. The man always had a flair for the dramatic, but Shane would expect nothing less from the leading expert of pagan, satanic, and occult ritual symbolism.

Baron leans back in his wide leather chair and steeples his fingers as he looks up at Shane. He has a guess what has the normally energetic investigator so on edge, but he's not going to let Shane off the hook my telling him that. "A favor means it's not strictly official FBI business. What can I do for you, Agent McMahon?"

Shane chuckles and shrugs, "I've taken on a friend of yours as a consultant - Dean Ambrose. His skills are... unique but unstable. I'm worried he may not be able to withstand the pressures of being on the field."

Baron raises both eyebrows and folds his arms as he continues to look at Shane. "So you're here to... ask me my opinion? He's a very unique man, with a great variety of skills but... field work? With you? I don't think that's wise for either of you."

Baron finds Dean entirely fascinating, truth be told. Watching a man with pure empathy, pure understanding of any person he turns his focus on, is incredible. But Baron is also Dean's friend, and the kind of things he's opened himself up to Dean about are dark enough without getting anywhere near the depth of dark and twisted shit that Shane wades into day in and day out.

"Dean is a resource we can not afford to leave untapped." Shane counters. "But I agree that we must be careful. Which is why I would like to ask you to help evaluate Dean. Or if you feel that your history would prevent you from being subjective, do you have a recommendation of someone else that could... keep our boy in one piece."

Baron shakes his head, though the phrasing makes him smirk slightly. "No way, not me. Dean doesn't like being 'evaluated.' I have more respect for him than to try to pull that bullshit." He frowns, looking Shane over. "I can think of one guy. Maybe. But you have to promise me you take this seriously. You watch Dean and you take the professional opinions to heart. Even if he doesn't say what you want him too."

"Are you suggesting someone else because of your past with him or do you actually care about his well being?" Shane asks, leaning forward. "I only ask because I want to know who I'm protecting by hiring someone else; you or Dean."

"Shane, Shane, come on. You know it can easily be both.” Baron says nonchalantly. "I get to keep being Dean's... friend and not strain our relationship by trying to convince him to accept my analysis. You get a fresh opinion and someone with a better chance at being truly neutral about Dean's talents and his stability." 

Baron shifts to straighten some papers on the desk and gives Shane a firm look. "And I get to know that you're not just strong arming some poor FBI shrink into giving him a pass because you need him. You won't be able to intimidate Roman."

"Roman?" Shane asks with an arched eyebrow. "I haven't heard of a psychiatrist named Roman. Is he good? I can't rely on someone I don't know if he's not worth it." Shane replies, relaxing a bit. "Also of you're suggesting him I'm sure the price is going to make me cringe."

Baron smirks. "Oh, the government can afford it, I promise. But if you haven't heard of Roman Reigns, I'm not sure how hard you've been looking. He just set up practice here, used to work mostly in Europe. That's where I studied with him. Right after he gave up being a surgeon."

Baron holds up a hand and writes a short note with a phone number and address down to hand to Shane. "Look, he's good. I wouldn't recommend just any patient to him, but him and Dean? I think they might... fit. It's just a sense I get. Roman likes unique cases and Dean is certainly that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our chapters are pretty short on this on, but here's another scene.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who is giving this story a shot and enjoying it. Your comments give us life. <3

**Author's Note:**

> No, this is not the story you wanted to see a new chapter of. Hopefully enjoy it anyway?
> 
> Also... how about that Jon Moxley on AEW, huh? ^_~ Looking forward to the stories we'll see in the next few months.
> 
> This is a little thing we started some time ago and have a few chapters set aside of... editing is less intense than some other projects, but we'd love to hear what you think.


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